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A3030Assembly2019-2020 Session

Stop LIRR Payments to Amtrak

Official title

“Authorizes the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Long Island Rail Road Company to discontinue payments to Amtrak”

Sponsor Michaelle C. SolagesAD-22Affects Economy
Status
In Assembly Committee
Corporations, Authorities And Commissions
Impact
6/10
Moderate
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Corporations, Authorities And Commissions

What's happening

This bill allows the MTA and LIRR to stop payments to Amtrak and refund commuters when Penn Station delays occur due to poor maintenance.

Why it matters

  1. Direct financial accountability for Amtrak. By allowing the MTA and LIRR to withhold payments from Amtrak when Penn Station delays are tied to poor maintenance, the bill increases pressure on Amtrak to invest in timely repairs and upkeep, potentially improving overall service reliability.

  2. Commuter compensation tied to service quality. Mandating that withheld funds be used to provide free tickets to affected riders means the financial burden of delays shifts from commuters to the responsible agencies, delivering more tangible relief to those directly experiencing disruptions.

  3. Performance-based standard for service restoration. The bill sets a clear benchmark—95% on-time performance for at least a month—before payments to Amtrak can resume, creating an explicit incentive for swift and sustained improvements rather than vague commitments to better maintenance.

  4. Focuses on a critical period of historic delays. By targeting the timeframe from March 24 to December 31, 2017, when Penn Station suffered major operational issues, the bill aims to address both immediate past grievances and set a precedent for future accountability in New York’s busiest transit hub.

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Who cares

  • Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Long Island Rail Road Company

    The bill would require them to stop payments to Amtrak as needed to compensate affected commuters, unless Penn Station trains achieve at least 95 percent on-time performance for at least one month.

  • Amtrak

    The bill would withhold payments to Amtrak to fund commuter compensation for unscheduled delays and cancellations caused by inadequate maintenance of the Penn Station complex and tunnels.

  • Commuters affected by Penn Station disruptions

    Payments withheld under the bill would be returned as free rail tickets to commuters affected by qualifying delays and cancellations from March 24 through December 31, 2017.

Headline styles

Stop LIRR Payments to Amtrak

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Michaelle C. Solages

Assembly Member · Assembly District 22

Chair, Local Governments

No co-sponsors yet.

History

  1. Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
  2. Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

3030

2019-2020 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

January 28, 2019

Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

AN ACT in relation to authorizing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Long Island Rail Road Company to discontinue payments to Amtrak

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Long Island Rail Road Company shall discontinue any and all payments to Amtrak, as needed, to ensure that impacted commuters are fully compensated due to unscheduled delays and cancellations caused by inadequate maintenance of the Penn Station Complex and tunnels, for the period commencing March 24, 2017 through December 31, 2017, unless service is restored to ninety-five percent on-time performance for trains arriving and departing at Penn Station, for a period of no less than one month. Any and all payments withheld shall be refunded to impacted commuters in the form of free rail tickets.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD05129-01-9

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.